I’ve never been in a war, never been under fire (literally), so I can’t assert the truth or falseness of the statement: “There are no atheists in fox-holes.” But I have lived in my own version of fox-holes, have found my way into and out of them, and can assert that I’m not an atheist. An atheist is SURE there is no God. Well I’m sure there is – but I can’t convince you of this, life convinced me, the … Continue reading →
It has become the norm in liberal society to admonish each other to remain Open-Minded – to be willing to see the other person’s viewpoint, to be open to new experiences, and ways of being in the world. We’d like to believe that we do this exceptionally well, but in truth, probably most of us average a C+. But as a mentor once told me, awareness is 90% — so if we are aware we desire to be open-minded, we … Continue reading →
Everyone knows what the “Golden Rule” is – “treat others the way you want to be treated.” However, this short-hand definition is a bit short-sighted, only focusing on behavior (including words), it lacks the experience of heart behind the sentiment. In the past I would frequently fall prey to an occupational hazard of going into ‘teaching-mode’ or ‘counselor-mode’ with the intention to convey something IMPORTANT to my listeners. A grave error – based on an assumption that I know what … Continue reading →
The key to releasing the fear of the unknown lies in releasing the enormity of our projected belief systems. Identifying the panorama of beliefs, some so subtle we simply call them opinions, others so massive we are sure they are TRUTH! Dismantling or at least acknowledging them can create an opening within ourselves. Such a crack in our façade becomes the doorway (or window) that gives rise to the possibility that we can walk into a new space within ourselves. … Continue reading →
Upon awakening in the mornings we become aware once again of THIS reality, our waking reality, a different experience from our sleeping state of being. It is as natural as breathing for us, in one moment we are ‘dead to the world’ and in the next instance we are ‘awake’. We do this all the time, every day, sometimes more than once a day if we like naps! J Awakening to our Spiritual Being is as simple and natural as … Continue reading →
Finding the balance between holding my own counsel vs. with-holding my truth, I seek to use words that create opening and understanding. This wasn’t always the case, I was consumed with the need to express myself, at times risking alienation and misunderstanding, until I discovered the language of the heart. In the same way, I struggle with bodies of faith that focus on the intellect as a means to understand and seek/find their way to God through their brain. Nor do I … Continue reading →
Changing the footing of our life work, our daily activities is a challenging process under any circumstances. But initiating such a change away from the premise that our life must be productive in order to be of value, is almost impossible. We are indoctrinated with the belief that a life worth living must have meaning, and we cling to the expectation that what we offer the world must be worthwhile, else why go on? Everyone is familiar with the old … Continue reading →
We turn a tremendous amount of power over to our mind, seldom questioning the force behind our logic, our doubts, our proof from an endless supply of evidence based on past, present, unpredictable future. We rarely see these mental constructs for what they are, internal and self-created. Instead, we believe them to be as real as the play upon the stage. And, if by chance something does not unfold the way that we assume or predict, we chalk it up … Continue reading →
Every human on the planet has control issues, to some degree or another CONTROL is the force each of us possess (or think we do) and use to cope with life’s uncertainties. If someone denies having any need for control, or say that they don’t have any control issues, you can be sure they are in deep denial (or can walk on water!). The varying degree to which control is revealed has much to do with ‘nature’ vs. ‘nurture’. How … Continue reading →
It is possible, nigh probable, that what we experience as the “fear of the Unknown” is really a case of mistaken identity. Some stalwart souls attempt to see such a fear from the ‘glass is half full’ perspective, reframing it to be the Great Mystery, the Unknown or Emptiness to be discovered and explored. Such a lofty approach is certainly one way to deal with the fear or anxiety, but it doesn’t really get to the heart of what causes … Continue reading →
